My aunt and uncle are being sued over some real estate by their niece. Long story, but the details are unimportant to my question. They have 20 days to respond and need to lawyer up.
So, they’ll go to a lawyer for the initial consultation. The problem is the wife does not speak English as a first language. The husband does, but is very bashful and meek. He will probably not ask the questions that need to be asked or seek clarification on certain parts.
Seeing as both are uneducated, they’ve asked that I come along and act as a translator. Sort of to ask those questions and get clarification, etc. They totally do not trust the husband to show any initiative.
I should state I’m not named in the suit, have nothing to do with it, nor am taking any sides. I’d merely be moral support (they’ll be likely intimidated by a lawyer, even one who speaks her language) and be a conduit.
Would helping them in this manner be considered being a party in the lawsuit? I’m leaning toward not helping, that the lawyer and his staff will know how to get the information they need, and won’t simply accept nods and smiles.
They found one that speaks Tagalog (Filipino), but my question wasn’t so much a word-for-word translation, but rather as a facilitator. Will that get me “too legally involved” or is it a common thing for people to bring friends/family to a lawyer consultation to help with questions and understanding?
It doesn’t make you involved, it makes you a relative/family friend who came along to assist them because they aren’t very sophisticated in these matters and are easily intimidated.
Thank you all. I went and the lawyer was pointedly happy I came along. He told me he encourages people to bring friends for support, it makes things a lot easier.
One interesting tidbit, after looking at their paperwork, he felt that everything the niece put in her lawsuit proposal (technical name escapes me) was false. He suggested we show these documents to her lawyer.
I wonder why that is? I don’t see anything fishy about it, maybe he’s a friend of the other lawyer and doesn’t want an embarrassing lawsuit?
It’s not that your aunt’s lawyer cares abour embarassing the other lawyer, he just wants to save everyone - your aunt in particular – time and money. If he shows the other lawyer that the aunt would easily win the suit, then the other lawyer may decide to drop the suit before going any farther (specifically, the other lawyer may manage to convince the neice that she can’t win and should stop spending money on going any farther suit).
If the other lawyer/neice does that, your aunt’s lawyer won’t have to do as much work, and your aunt saves on legal bills.
It’s not at all fishy, and is probably (I don’t know the particulars of the case, of course) good advice.
I imagine that if you were acting as a translator and mis-translated something that later turned out to have serious consequences, it’s possible you might be sued by either or both sides to the dispute.
He was not acting as a sworn translator, he was acting as support, and clarification channel. So long as it has been made clear that he is not acting as a sworn translator (which he can’t), the suits would class as frivolous.